David Heise, 28, pleaded not guilty to the new charges at Suffolk County court Monday after a grand jury indicted him for criminally negligent homicide and ten other charges.
Prosecutors said Heise was speeding when he ran a red light and struck a BMW driven by Eugene Franjola, 17. Franjola died at the scene and his passenger, 16-year-old Stephen Massina died ten days later.
Heise had previously pleaded not guilty to aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. His license was suspended at the time of the crash because he had three speeding tickets in the 18-months prior to that accident, prosecutors said.
Heise was also charged with sale and possession of heroin and the possession of a hypodermic needle related to his arrest on the L.I.E.. Authorities said they found 100 decks of heroin in Heise's underwear when he was pulled over near exit 49 last month.
He was free $25,000 bail on the unlicensed driving charge at the time of the drug arrest and was free on $200,000 bail on the drug charge when he was arraigned on the indictment Monday.
Judge James F. X. Doyle set Heise's bail at $200,000 cash or $300,000 bond for the latest charges.
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Murder and manslaughter are both forms of criminal homicide. Criminal homicide occurs when a person unlawfully takes the life of another person. Criminal homicide may stem from negligence or intentional wrongdoing. For example, a drunk driver who causes an auto accident may be charged with vehicular manslaughter if his or her actions lead to the death of another driver, passenger, or pedestrian. A person who intentionally assaults another with a deadly weapon, with the intention to take their life, will likely face attempted murder charges.
A highly experienced Westchester County criminal lawyer can explore different options in regard to your defense in the face of manslaughter or murder charges. For example, an act committed in self-defense would not be murder. The incident may have been entirely accidental, or you may have been framed or wrongfully accused. A thorough investigation may uncover evidence of wrongful charges in this way.